Is extreme weather the new normal? episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 23, 2024 · 14 MIN

Is extreme weather the new normal?

from What in the World · host BBC World Service

There’s been massive flooding in Dubai, with twice the annual amount of rain in a single day. Roads, runways and shopping malls were flooded. Meanwhile, West Africa has been dealing with one of its worst heatwaves. Late March and early April saw consistent temperatures above 40 degrees centigrade, sometimes even at night. We know a warming atmosphere caused by climate change makes extreme weather events more likely - but are the freak events going to be the new normal? Three BBC reporters take us through the facts. Abdirahim Saeed looks at the infrastructure in Dubai and our Climate Disinformation reporter, Marco Silva, explains what conspiracies around cloud-seeding were doing the rounds after the floods. We go to Lagos to speak to Makuochi Okafor, a BBC Health Correspondent for West Africa, and we also hear from three people in their early twenties about how they’re coping in the heat and trying to limit the effects of climate change.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Adam Chowdhury, Alex Rhodes, Emily Horler and Mary Isokariari Editor: Verity Wilde

There’s been massive flooding in Dubai, with twice the annual amount of rain in a single day. Roads, runways and shopping malls were flooded. Meanwhile, West Africa has been dealing with one of its worst heatwaves. Late March and early April saw consistent temperatures above 40 degrees centigrade, sometimes even at night. We know a warming atmosphere caused by climate change makes extreme weather events more likely - but are the freak events going to be the new normal? Three BBC reporters take us through the facts. Abdirahim Saeed looks at the infrastructure in Dubai and our Climate Disinformation reporter, Marco Silva, explains what conspiracies around cloud-seeding were doing the rounds after the floods. We go to Lagos to speak to Makuochi Okafor, a BBC Health Correspondent for West Africa, and we also hear from three people in their early twenties about how they’re coping in the heat and trying to limit the effects of climate change.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Adam Chowdhury, Alex Rhodes, Emily Horler and Mary Isokariari Editor: Verity Wilde

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Is extreme weather the new normal?

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This episode was published on April 23, 2024.

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There’s been massive flooding in Dubai, with twice the annual amount of rain in a single day. Roads, runways and shopping malls were flooded. Meanwhile, West Africa has been dealing with one of its worst heatwaves. Late March and early April saw...

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